Cooking Contest Encounter
by TwiTwiAgain
Summary: College student Bella enters cooking contests to win extra money. Surgeon Edward hopes to create healthy recipes his patients will enjoy. They can't fight their attraction, when they meet on the way to a contest in Napa.
1. Chapter 1

32

**Warnings and Disclaimer: **

The Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I own Cooking Competition Encounter.

Cooking Competition Encounter

A/N Thanks to Project Team Beta's ChloeCougar and Mel/mcc101180.

BPOV

"Hello!" I heard from the door, followed by an immediate loud slam.

Jeez. Why had I agreed to room with Alice again? More than once, stuff on the bookcase next to the door had fallen over upon her arrival. Well, maybe it had more to do with the cheap furniture that had to be put together rather than Alice's entrances. What else could college students afford?

"I'm in the kitchen," I called. I was waiting for the cabernet to reduce down for the sauce on my burgers. I had been working on this recipe for my chance to win a hundred thousand dollars.

Alice entered and leaned against the counter next to the stove, peeking around to see what was cooking. "That smells SO good! What's this recipe for?"

"It's a gourmet burger for the 'Build the Best Burger' contest. The top prize is a hundred grand," I said as I smiled at her, imagining how that would help with my college loans.

She scrunched her forehead. "So you're going to build a _Bella_ burger?"

We burst out laughing.

"That sounds so wrong, but I'm not really sure why." I laughed as I turned back to the cutting board to chop the shallots.

Alice reached for the cheese that I had already sliced, but had left sitting on the counter in its plastic wrapping.

"Don't!" I screamed. She dropped it quickly and slowly licked the creamy goodness off her fingers, her eyes widening as she looked at me.

"I'm sorry, but I only have enough Camembert for the burgers. All this is pretty expensive." I sighed. I knew it was irresponsible to put recipe ingredients on my credit card. But shallots, Portobello mushrooms, wine and arugula all added up to a pricey grocery bill. I'd be eating ramen noodles for a week.

"My bad. I should know better. Do I get to try one?"

"Absolutely! Well, half of one." I was only making a recipe for two and would triple the result to enter the contest, since it was supposed to be for six.

She nodded and jumped up to sit on the counter. "Good. After all, if it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have ever entered that first contest to begin with."

I smiled. "Yes, I owe it all to you... " I rolled my eyes dramatically. She knew I was kidding, but I really did owe it all to her. She had insisted I enter the National Chicken cooking contest after watching the competition on the Food Network.

I had only submitted my recipe to shut her up and was shocked to make the final. Unbelievably, I had come in third place, taking home a five thousand dollar prize. As a result, I had continued entering competitions and had made a bit of a name for myself in the cooking contest world.

Nevertheless, a "big" prize had eluded me. Mostly, I just ended up enjoying the free trips and being wined and dined during the competitions. While it was fun, I _really, really _wanted to win this contest and pay my parents back for college.

EPOV

I finished chopping the garlic and put it into a small bowl next to the other ingredients laid out in my _mise en place_. I relished the orderliness of cooking. In a way, it reminded me of how all the instruments were laid out for surgery.

While I enjoyed my residency as a cardiac surgeon, following in my father's footsteps, I hated how so many of my patients refused to put limits on their diet. I hoped to help them by creating healthy alternatives. Hamburgers were one of the big offenders, and I knew I could come up with a better option.

I started to cut the deer meat into small pieces so I could grind it myself for the venison burgers. I cut rhythmically, in time with the classical music I had playing. This always made the time pass quickly as I cooked.

I began to mix the burgers for my recipe after making the pistachio pesto and crumbling the feta. The aroma from the fresh basil lingered in the air. I paused and took a sip of my zinfandel.

Yes, food should be enjoyed, relished even, but within limits. To think that so many people ate fast food daily, gobbling greasy hamburgers and fat fried potatoes, made me nauseated.

If they saw what this food left in their bodies, veins clogged almost closed completely with the remnants of what they consumed, they would never eat that way again.

I enjoyed my work, but in a way, I wished it was unnecessary. If people ate better food, they would not need someone like me to perform heart bypass surgery. The last time I ate red meat, over a decade ago, I was a rebellious teenager, refusing to eat the healthy food my mom, Esme, always cooked.

It was intriguing to come up with a recipe and compete, but I really wanted to win to show my parents that I now embraced their philosophy on eating. Actually, I had taken it further.

BPOV

Alice and I brought the plates from the kitchen, each with half a burger on them. Rose and Jessica looked at the food with evaluating expressions.

"So... this is supposed to be a fancy gourmet burger, right?"

"Yes, Jess," I said. I didn't like her all that much, but she still hung out with us at UDub occasionally, since we all came from Forks. Begrudgingly, I had to admit she had an excellent palate. She gave me good comments about my food on a regular basis.

"I like the bright arugula and tomato on top, contrasting with the more neutral colors of the burger. We eat with our eyes first."

Alice looked over at me, and I tried to keep from rolling _my_ eyes. Jess heard someone say that on TV and used the phrase every time we started to eat.

We each picked up our half-a-burger at the same time, glancing at each other before taking a bite in unison.

"Mmm..." we all moaned together. We sounded like some porn movie.

"Bella, this is so good," Alice mumbled as she licked the melted cheese from the side of her mouth. "How do you put these decadent concoctions together?"

I thought about that as I slowly chewed, enjoying the mingling of flavors from the richness of the Camembert, the tartness of the dressing, and the crunch of the cashews.

"I just close my eyes and imagine tasting the food, the combinations and how they would taste on my tongue, lingering as I chew." I realized my eyes were still closed and opened them suddenly, only to see all my friends staring at me. I blushed and tried to find the right words, shrugging. "I think food is a visceral experience."

Rose blinked. "I guess. You kinda made me hot for you! And I've never had a thing for women."

"Good to know," I said as I smirked at her, although I hated to think what Emmett would have to say about this. He would probably tease me about a threesome.

We tried to eat slowly, enjoying every bite. I leaned back in my chair, enjoying my full stomach, and watched my girls chat and laugh. Good food and good friends - this was perfect.

EPOV

I sat at my mahogany dining table and eyed my concoction. The burger was a perfect collaboration of lean meat and vegetables, with just a bit of low fat cheese to add an extra zing. I took a bite, chewing slowly to let the flavors meld as I enjoyed the blend.

This would be a burger worthy of the competition. I finished most of it and then brought what was left to the garbage disposal, scraping it off the plate. I flipped on the switch and added the other five burgers, breaking them apart to fit down the drain more easily.

It was important to practice the recipe for six, since that was what was required for the entry. Too bad there had been no one else here to enjoy it. I guess I could have invited my parents and not wasted the food, but they had a social engagement this evening. I sighed.

It would be nice to have a social life too. The hospital kept me so busy I never seemed to have the time. It had been months since my last date, and that had been a disaster. It was easier to focus on work, spending what little extra time I had exercising... at least that way I was too tired to think about sex.

I wanted a wife and family in the future, but I just didn't know how I would achieve that considering how I lived my life today. I was almost thirty.

I filled my wine glass and collapsed into my favorite leather chair, continuing to listen to the music. When I woke up to my phone alarm the next morning - I was still there. I guess sleeping in a chair was OK - just as good as a lonely bed - but surely there was someone out there for me?

I walked to the kitchen, put my wine glass in the dishwasher and then headed to the shower.

BPOV

"I GOT IN!" I screamed. Rose and Alice came out of their respective rooms, eyes wide.

"Got in what?"

"'The Build the Best Burger' contest! I'm a finalist." I performed a happy dance, arms extended, one hand still clutching my cell phone.

"I knew you would make it. That burger was decadent. This is the one. I just feel it," Alice said.

Still laughing, I excitedly asked, "What do you feel, Alice?" Alice always thought she could predict the future. She was usually wrong.

She looked at me with a surprisingly serious expression and stated, "This is a turning point for you, so I guess you're going to win."

I looked at her and realized she wasn't joking, but before I could comment, Rose announced, "We need to celebrate. Get dressed and be out here in ten minutes!"

I hurried to my room as Alice screamed about not having enough time. I ripped off my t-shirt and changed into a cami, grabbing a sweater to put on over it. I dabbed some concealer under my eyes to cover up the results of my late night paper writing. I loved my girls. I loved my life. Looking in the mirror, I smiled at the result. I looked pretty good. I had a good figure, and my brown hair fell past my shoulders in waves. Now, if only I could find someone to love. _Sigh_.

I was a senior, and I still couldn't seem to find the right person. Rose was head over heels with Emmett and Alice had been dating Tyler for years, but they had just recently broken up. At least she understood my yearning.

Three hours later, we were still dancing at our favorite college bar, having consumed the free drinks bought for us by the guys we ran into there. We celebrated, we screamed as we danced, and we finally collapsed in our beds in the wee hours of the morning.

I was happy to have such good friends, happy to get a chance to win some college money, but sad that I was alone again. I closed my eyes and hoped to dream of someone who would be my equal, my partner, my lover. _Surely there was someone out there for me._

EPOV

I held my cell phone as close to my ear as possible, my finger in my other ear as I jogged down the hall. "I'm sorry. Who did you say you were?"

"I'm Jane, from the 'Build the Best Burger' contest. You're one of the finalists!"

"Oh... hey... that's terrific," I said evenly. I was glad to get in, but I was rushing to an emergency, a guy with a massive heart attack. The EMTs kept him alive, and I was racing to perform open heart surgery. I knew he had a poor chance of survival from the information I had, so I was worried. "Look, I'm busy right now."

"That's OK, I can wait. I'm sure you want to hear all the details," she continued.

"Well, I do, but I'm sorry, I'm on my way to an emergency surgery, and I really don't have time to talk."

"Oh my. Are you going to be OK?"

"I'm _performing _the surgery," I hissed. "I'm a doctor."

"Oh, well, I'll let you go then," she crooned. "There will be a packet FedEx'd to you, and that will have all the details you need. Let me know if you have any questions," she purred. Yeah, once they knew you were a doctor, they got all seductive. Shit, she didn't even know what I looked like. I could be a fifty-year-old bald guy who stood five feet tall!

"Fine. Thanks." I closed the phone and pushed through the doors of the OR, heading to the sink to begin the scrubbing routine.

Four hours later, I opened the door to my condo and trudged in. Walking over to the bar, I wrapped my fingers around the neck of the vodka I'd pulled out of the freezer. I took a long gulp then leaned my forehead on my arm against the wall.

_"Call it, Edward." I ignored my father as I called for another round of epi and yelled, "Clear!" Another shock and his heart was still in defib._

_"Edward, call it. There's nothing more we can do. It's been too long."_

_I sighed. "Time of death, 21:37." I pulled my gloves off and hit the doors, heading to the doctor's locker room to change._

_"Son, please wait."_

_I stopped, not turning around to face him._

_"Sometimes, there's just nothing we can do. There was too much damage. I'll go talk to the family."_

_"Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it." I hated talking to the family, telling them I'd failed; that I'd killed another person._

I filled my glass, staring out of the windows at the Seattle landscape. I should be happy. I was close to finishing my specialty; I had a great place to live and no student loans to pay back, thanks to the trust fund left by my grandparents.

But here I was, all alone again. I wanted to find someone to be with, but I had so little time for that. Besides, it seemed anyone who threw themselves at me was a bimbo with plastic surgery and no brains, after me for my money and my looks. Yeah, I knew I was good-looking. But it offended me that they didn't even bother to look deeper.

I leaned with my back against a wall and slid down to sit on the carpet taking another gulp of vodka. The man who had died today had a wife and family._ The man you couldn't save; the man you killed._ At least he had enjoyed his life. He was not alone. But I was.

BPOV

I logged on to the conference call to talk with the contest supervisors and the other contestants.

I heard, "Hello, Isabella."

"Mmm... hi." I then heard a few more greetings from the others.

"So, why don't we start? Let me introduce myself. I'm Jane and I will be your liaison. If you have any questions, I'm the one to ask."

"Wait, are we all here? I only counted eleven." I heard a male voice ask.

"Mike? Right? Yes, Dr. Cullen may not be able to join us." _Hmm... a doctor is in the contest? That's interesting._

"Well, la tee dah, I guess he can't be bothered," he rudely replied. Yep, that had to be Mike. I had run into him at the chicken contest, and I did_ not_ like him. At all. He was a slimy guy who thought he could get into my pants. Unfortunately, he came up with good recipes.

After about forty minutes of discussing details, there was another ding, signifying someone had joined the call.

"Dr. Cullen?" Jane asked.

"Yes, sorry to be so late." His voice was smooth and sultry, lovely really.

"No problem. Let me tell you, and everyone really, that I will email all the questions and answers and everything we discussed today. So don't worry about missing anything."

"I just wanted to know if you found a purveyor for the deer meat?"

"Yes, don't worry." _Hmm, I guess he's making a venison burger._ While I had researched the other contestants in the beef category, I hadn't looked at who was competing in the alternate one.

"Well, any more personal questions from the bigwig doctor?" Mike clearly had an issue with him.

I heard a sharp exhale of breath. "I apologize for my late arrival. How inconvenient of my patient to have a heart attack when I was supposed to chat about burgers." His voice was now lower, angry and really hot. I didn't blame him.

"Of course. We understand. OK, everyone, are there any more questions?" After an awkward pause, Jane said, "I think we have everything. Thanks for joining, and like I said, you'll be getting my email soon."

I signed off and left the call, still holding my phone and wondering why I liked the sound of the doctor so much. Was I one of those girls who was impressed by credentials? I didn't think so. Maybe I just liked sexy voices.

One month later, I found myself at SeaTac airport on my way to compete.

"OK, you're all set. We're gonna drive up Friday night, and we'll see you at the winery on Saturday morning to watch you cook." Alice gave me a big hug, followed by Rose. "Now go have fun and _win_!"

"Thanks. You two are the best. I really appreciate you coming out. I know it's out of the way."

"It's not exactly a hardship, Bella. It'll be a fun road trip. Besides, Emmett loves to drive, so we can just enjoy the ride. And the competition is at a winery! How fun is that!"

After hugs, I made my way though security, holding my first class ticket in my hand. I hated to admit to myself that I was excited about flying in luxury, but I was.

Rose and Alice thought I should have more fun. Not just win, but have fun, socialize and _then_ win. They're right. Ever since Jake and I had broken up, I'd been a bookworm. I never went out unless we were in a group, and if I talked to a guy, he seemed to always have a sleazy line. Not everyone could be an asshole like Jacob Black. I just hadn't found him yet.

I sat down in the generic plastic seat and waited to hear the call for us to board. I put my iPod ear buds in, having learned it was the best way to ignore unwanted advances. As I paged through my playlists deciding what to listen to, I noticed a tall man walk to our gate. He sat down and began texting on his iPhone.

I hated to stare, but he was really hot. He was tall, lean and muscular. He wore what looked like expensive jeans, a white button down linen shirt, and a deep brown leather jacket that looked new but soft. I longed to let my fingers rub along the jacket. His hair was a really cool reddish-brown and a bit disheveled, but it worked for him.

As I watched him type with his long fingers, he suddenly raised his eyes and caught me looking at him. _Crap._ I blushed and quickly looked down and began to search in my purse for something. I wasn't sure what, but I had to look like I was doing something. A mint! Yeah, that was what I needed, and I placed one in my mouth. Just in case I need to speak to someone at a very close range.

EPOV

It had been a crazy day, and now I was behind the schedule I had meticulously organized for my trip. Even though I'd left the hospital later than I'd planned, I was able to get to the airport before boarding. I narrowed my eyes at my phone, feeling the vibration as I received yet another text or email.

I was responding to a simple question from the staff about one of my patients when I felt like I was being watched. I looked up and saw beautiful brown eyes looking at me. They grew wide and then the woman looked down, pink gracing her face. She continued to look in her purse until she found what looked like a breath mint and placed it in her mouth.

I didn't know why, but I was mesmerized. She was lovely, wearing jeans with boots and her sweater looked comfortable, yet clung to her slim curves. I was startled when my flight was announced but as first class got to board immediately, I had no time to make her acquaintance. Too bad.

As I picked up my carry-on and headed to the gate, I found her ahead of me. I handed my ticket to the agent, trying to catch a last glimpse of the brown-haired beauty as she disappeared in the tunnel.

"Welcome, Dr. Cullen," the agent said after glancing at my name on my boarding pass. "Have a wonderful flight. Hope you'll be back soon." She said the last words far too seductively. I gave her a tight smile and walked down the ramp.

I headed to my row, trying not to be rude to the overly-friendly flight attendants, and smiled as I saw who was in the seat next to me.

Putting my carry-on onto my seat, I retrieved my reading material and my snack: homemade hummus and pita cut into triangles. Airline food was terrible. I could feel my neighbor's eyes on me, but I willed myself not to look up, keeping focused on my task.

Before I was even in my seat, anticipating speaking to the young woman, I was interrupted.

"Can I get you something to drink? Or anything at all?" The flight attendant lingered on the last word. I looked at brown-haired girl and saw she had nothing.

"Would you care for a drink?" I asked. She looked at me and smiled softly.

"White wine?" She posed it as a question. As if they wouldn't have any.

I turned back to the overly made-up woman and asked, "What whites do you have?"

"Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, White Zinfandel, if that's what you would like." She addressed the last part to the woman at my side, and I hoped she wouldn't request that awful type.

Her nose wrinkled slightly at the mention of the pink wine, and she asked for the former selection.

"Do you have a Pinot Noir?" I asked.

"Of course."

"What vineyard do you carry?"

"We're proud to pour Venturi wines."

Maybe that was a good omen, since their winery sponsored the cook-off. I nodded and turned, effectively dismissing her. I held out my hand. "Hi, I'm Edward."

"Bella. Nice to meet you."

"I'm afraid they won't have great wines on board, but they're fine. You headed to San Francisco for the weekend?" That was a good question. Nothing too forward.

"Actually, I'm going to Napa."

"As am I." I smiled. The return of the attendant interrupted our conversation. She opened Bella's wine, and splashed a bit in her glass. She then took an excessive amount of time with my wine, gently letting it pour in as if the glass were fine crystal. Rather than looking at her, I picked up Bella's small wine bottle.

"This isn't bad, but I'm sure you'll get some better wine this weekend. Where are you planning to visit for your tastings?"

"Actually, I'm there on business. But I hope to have some good food and wine, too. I'd like to learn more about wine." She looked down but looked sort of embarrassed.

We talked the whole flight, and I loved how easily our conversation flowed. She was smart, she was funny, and she was beautiful. I wanted to forget the contest and spend the weekend talking to her. We discussed wine and then moved on to food and then literature, since she was an English major. I skirted around what I did for a living, merely stating that I worked at the university. I couldn't remember when I'd had such an interesting conversation with someone I'd just met.

She even seemed to enjoy sharing my snack.

BPOV

When the handsome guy from the waiting area had walked onto the plane, flight attendants had fallen all over themselves trying to help him to his seat. I imagined this was a bad sign, the start of a terrible weekend. He probably knew how handsome he was and was a cocky bastard. Alice must have been wrong about everything being perfect this weekend.

But he pretty much ignored them, not in a rude way, but just kept focusing on his task. He was also polite, making sure I had something to drink, since the flight attendant hadn't bothered to ask. He moved to his seat, gathered what he needed for the flight, and then placed his bag in the overhead compartment, and I watched the muscles in his arms flex. Embarrassed, I looked down and swirled the wine in my glass. _Jeez, I was as bad as the flight attendants._

He introduced himself, and I loved the feel of his hand in mine, not really sure why it was so much better than other handshakes.

I sipped my wine and we chatted for a while. We were given warmed nuts and offered cheese and fruit plates since the flight was relatively short.

"Don't eat that."

I paused with a piece of melon speared on my fork only a few inches from my open mouth.

He stared for a moment and with a guilty expression finally said, "Ugh.. sorry. I really wouldn't trust the airline caterers. Please, share my hummus if you like. It's healthier than high fat cheese, anyway."

"'Kay... thanks," I replied, slowly lowering my utensil to the plate.

He smeared some of the bean spread on a piece of the pita and handed it to me. I moaned with pleasure. It was really good hummus, not some packaged grocery store stuff that had been sitting there God knew how long.

"This is really good. Where did you get it?"

He arched an eyebrow. "It's homemade."

"You made this? I thought you must have gotten it from some deli or restaurant." I finished chewing as he looked at me with an easy smile. He seemed a bit embarrassed.

"Impressive. So you cook?"

"I think it's important to eat food that's close to its source. I hate preservatives or anything prepackaged," he said with a shrug. "That means a lot of cooking."

_Oh no, he's gay. He is dressed perfectly, he cooks, he brings his own food and he ignored the slutty flight attendants. We're headed to the San Francisco area! Damn, why are the great-looking ones always gay?_ I sighed in resignation, giving him a small smile while I sipped more wine.

EPOV

Why was I talking about food? No one is that interested in healthy food, at least not when you first meet someone. She was just smiling to be nice. I switched topics to something more interesting, and our conversation resumed its easy flow.

Much sooner than I would have liked, our plane began its descent and I tried to figure out how I could ask this terrific person for her number - or the name of her hotel or something - without sounding like a crazy stalker.

As we walked toward the baggage claim area, I tried to chat. "Did you rent a car?" _That wasn't creepy._

"Uh, no, I'm taking the wine country shuttle." She smiled and turned back to watch for her bag.

"I'm driving up. You're welcome to join me." She looked shocked, so I backtracked. "I'm sorry, that's forward. You don't know me." I shrugged, glimpsing my bag turning the corner on the conveyer belt. At least I could avoid embarrassment by occupying myself getting it.

Bella's bag followed and we headed to the car rental/shuttle area. I didn't know what to do, or say - I had no idea why I was so unsure. This was one of those situations that would surely not end satisfactorily... for me, anyway.

"Well, it was nice meeting you," I said slowly. I didn't think I could ask for her number. I'd already overstepped by inviting her to ride with me.

"Yeah," she replied, looking at me with a pensive expression.

She walked away and toward the wine country express line as I went to the end of the car rental queue. I guess I was never bold enough to get the girl I wanted... I only got airheads throwing themselves at me. I suddenly realized that, despite our conversation, we hadn't even shared what business was bringing us here. It was obvious I would never see her again.

BPOV

I'd loved talking to Edward; we'd had such an easy conversation on the flight, but when he asked if I wanted to ride with him, I was shocked. No one had ever asked me something like that. Well, not the guys _I _wanted... the guys I _didn't _want always did. But before I could answer, he backed out.

I must have looked like I didn't want to go with him. _I'm so stupid sometimes!_ We parted and I thought about asking him for his cell number but couldn't seem to get up the nerve. I walked away and headed for the shuttle, cursing myself.

That's when I saw _him_! Effing Mike Newton! After dealing with him at the chicken competition and listening to his rude comments on the conference call, he was the last person I wanted to talk to. And there he was, waiting for the same shuttle. He was handsy, obnoxious, and the thought of having to ride all the way to Napa with him made me sick to my stomach.

I turned and looked back at Edward - gorgeous, interesting Edward - waiting in his car rental line. I didn't know him. I didn't even know his last name._ He could be a serial killer, right? A gay serial killer? Well, maybe he wasn't gay._ But why would I hitch a ride with someone who was practically a stranger?

Then I looked back at Newton. Hmm... I'd never given much thought to how I would die. But dying in a place with someone I loved to talk to seemed like a good way to go. Dying sitting next to Mike Newton? Not so much. I took a deep breath and walked back toward Edward.

I tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Is that invitation still good?"

He turned and gave me the brightest and most sincere smile I had ever seen. "Absolutely."

"I don't have anything going on 'til tomorrow, so, I thought why not? I mean, who wants to be on a bus with God knows who?" _Like Mike Newton. _"I enjoyed talking with you and... jeez, I need to shut up."

Edward chuckled. "I know what you mean. Thanks for joining me... I would love the company."

And that was how I found myself driving to Napa in a convertible and going to dinner with a handsome man I'd just met on a plane.

I texted Alice, telling her I'd met someone on the plane and was driving with him, just in case I went missing. Not that I really thought that was a possibility. I did like telling her though... she and Rose had been pushing me to take chances in my life.

I watched Edward's hair move in the breeze as we drove. He looked otherworldly in his beauty. _What if he was straight!_ I still wasn't sure - I'd always had terrible "gaydar."

My rambling thoughts were interrupted when he spoke."I was planning on having dinner at Twilight. I have a reservation. It was for one, but I'm sure I can change it to two, if you'd like to join me."

"Twilight? Are you kidding? It takes months to get a table!" This was turning out to be great. _Alice was right; I do need to take more chances._

He immediately called on his bluetooth enabled cell, and they happily accommodated his request for two. I felt like jumping up and down and clapping, instead, I gave Edward a smile. I hoped it looked sophisticated and sexy. I'm not really sure it was, but that was what I was going for.

"Do you mind if I stop and check in first? I could only get a room and at a bed and breakfast. They don't really have a late check in." He smiled at me with an embarrassed look.

"Sure."

He pulled off the highway and stopped in front of a Victorian style home in a residential area. Grabbing his luggage, we walked to the entrance through a small yard. There were blackberry bushes and an herb garden that filled the air with wonderful smells, and I spotted a gazebo tucked away off to the side.

I followed a few steps behind, and waited as Edward checked in. Picking up a card from the counter so that I would have the address, I also took a card for a local cab company, thinking I could use it for my trip to the winery hotel later.

The owner, a woman in her fifties with an air of _hippie_ about her, walked through the courtyard to a bungalow. After having the amenities pointed out to us, Edward shyly led me back to the front of the house.

"The restaurant is just a few blocks from here. I planned to walk, if that's OK? I was hoping to drink wine and don't want to drive."

"The weather is perfect; I'd love to walk."

"I didn't even ask where you were staying. Is it far?"

"No, just up the highway a few minutes. I'll get a cab after dinner."

He looked flustered. "I didn't mean to leave you stranded here. I'll drive you. I'll just have one glass of wine."

I laughed. "Seriously? You saved me the cost of the shuttle, and you wouldn't even let me pay for gas! A short cab ride is nothing. Really." I placed my hand on his shoulder trying to show how sincere I felt about it. He felt really good - muscular, despite his lean build.

EPOV

It had been kind of awkward in my room with Bella. The king-size bed was the focal point of the romantic room and I was glad to be outside again. The sun was setting and there was a slight breeze.

"I ordered the chef's preset menu, because Kate's selections are always outstanding. Is that OK with you?"

Bella looked at me and smiled, her face glowing. "That sounds wonderful!"

"I believe there's a choice of entree, so you do get _some_ say."

The restaurant was already crowded when we walked in. A man was arguing with the hostess, not knowing he needed reservations. Bella tapped me on the shoulder and leaned in close to my ear so she could be heard.

"I'm going to run to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

I gave my name to the hostess, she cocked her head, giving me a knowing look.

"It'll just be a moment." I nodded and turned, looking around at all the well dressed people crowding in the foyer.

A few minutes later I heard, "Edward!"

Kate came rushing toward me and gave me a hug, complete with air kisses, and we garnered stares from several customers who recognized her.

"Look at you; so grown up. A surgeon and creating recipes! You changed your reservation to two? Who is this new person?"

_Wow, take a breath between those sentences._ "Kate, please don't tell her about why I'm here or what I do for a living. We just met on the plane..."

"Man of mystery, huh?"

I shrugged, but before I could explain any further, Bella came up to join us. "Bella, this is Kate, the owner of Twilight."

Bella's eyes were wide. "Wow, Kate Ferguson. It's so nice to meet a real celebrity chef! I really admire your philosophy of cooking - using ingredients from local farmers and purveyors whenever possible." She blushed. "Sorry... I'm a big fan."

I shook my head, surprised at what I was hearing. _Bella must be really interested in cooking. No wonder she seemed to know about food._

"Bella, you're so sweet. It's lovely to meet you. Edward here tells me you met on the plane?"

"Yes, then we drove up together."

"How nice. I'm honored that you came to eat here first. There are so many wonderful options in Napa."

Bella glanced over to me. "Well, it was Edward who had the reservation."

Kate grabbed each of us by the arm and began walking us through the restaurant. The whole place had a rustic feel to it, with oak paneling on the walls, but it was like being in a huge winery since there were racks of wine everywhere. Even though they looked like they were open to the room, they were actually separated by glass doors that also protected the wine and kept it at optimal temperature.

Bella lingered, looking at the bottles as we passed. She stopped, and a small gasp escaped from her lips. "Look at that bottle," she said softly, almost reverently.

"Ahh... Eclipse. You know your wine. That's a wonderful cabernet."

Bella giggled. "Um... no, I just thought it was such a wonderful design." Her delicate fingertips touched the glass. "See how the corona on the label continues all around the bottle."

"It's intriguing," I agreed. "What used to be utilitarian has now turned into artistry. Wine labels have taken on a life of their own."

"You need to continue this discussion at your table," Kate said as she nudged us to continue. She turned to Bella. "You know, I've known him his whole life. His mother and I were college roommates." _Ugh, please let's not go into my history._

"Yes, yes, Kate," I interjected. "You don't want to bore Bella to death with stories about me. What have you put on the menu this evening?" I gave her what I hoped was my most charming smile.

My attempt at distraction wasn't necessary, since she stopped in front of a table in the corner before she could reply.It wasn't just any table. It was _the_ table. The most romantic in the room. It resembled a small gazebo, and we had to step up to enter. Grapevines and draped fabric added to the seclusion.

Why was she doing this? This was the most requested table in the place; countless couples had gotten engaged here. Even though it would be great to eat here with Bella, it seemed like overkill for a first date. _Was this a date?_

I began to ask Kate to give us another table when Bella spoke in a breathy whisper. "Wow. This is so lovely."

Her fingers floated over the leaves trailing down the arch as she stepped up and her face had a look of wonder as she looked around at the tiny white lights hovering above the table. She smiled softly and then turned to look at me.

My previous thoughts disappeared as I took her hand and helped her into the curved seat, settling next to her.

When I looked up, I caught a knowing smirk on Kate's face.

"Enjoy!" And with that, she turned and escaped to the kitchen.

BPOV

Edward and I sat down and an awkward silence settled upon us. This would be the perfect place for a romantic date, but we'd just met. I looked over at him and watched as he unfolded his napkin and placed his silverware perfectly.

My ogling was interrupted by our waiter. "Welcome to Twilight. I understand this is your first visit?" he said, looking at me.

"Yes." I was feeling a bit intimidated.

"This is the menu for the prix fixe meal tonight," he said as he handed us each a sheet of textured paper.

We murmured our thanks as we scanned the wonderful selections and before I could absorb what was printed there, he spoke again.

"The sommelier has a wine pairing for each selection as well, or you can choose your own, of course. We have over forty wines by the glass in addition to an extensive menu that can be purchased by bottle only." He placed a thick padded book on the table, next to Edward. I knew very little about wine. It was just too expensive to try anything more than everyday types, and so I was in way over my head.

After pouring water, the waiter gave us a few minutes to make our drink selections.

"Um... I really don't know that much about wine. I think I'll just go with Kate's recommendations," I murmured. The cost of the dinner would barely be covered by the per diem given to us by the contest to cover travel from the airport and meals not provided at the winery. But I remembered what Alice and Rose had said: _Have fun!_

"Choosing wine can be a challenge, especially here in Napa. The wine lists can be as thick as a phone book. But, really, it should come down to what you enjoy, right?" Edward replied.

"I guess that's true. I'm more confident with food."

"Chef would like you to enjoy an _amuse bouche_ while you decide on the entree." We turned to find the waiter with two small plates.

"This is a wedge of fresh fig, with Maytag blue cheese and toasted walnut, drizzled with twenty-five-year-old Balsamic. Enjoy."

Edward ordered the wine pairing selection for our courses but stated he would wait to pair our entree.

I put the wedge of fig in my mouth and bit down, holding the stem, and I hummed in appreciation. "A perfect single bite."

"For the start of a perfect evening," Edward responded as he looked at me, his eyes twinkling.

His statement was a surprise. _Maybe he _was_ interested in me_. I looked down at the first course listed, oysters on the half shell.

"I've never eaten an oyster. I've always wanted to try one."

"Then why haven't you?"

"Um... I guess I was worried I would do it wrong. I had a bad experience trying my first artichoke leaf in public." I smiled, shaking my head as I remembered the incident.

He laughed. "Well, I can see how that might have been a problem... it's not really intuitive. But don't worry; I'll lead you." I gave him what was probably a goofy grin, thinking I would certainly love to follow him. Anywhere.

EPOV

Bella was enchanting - she was so full of life and eager to try new things. I gave her some basics of wine tasting, showing her how to swirl the glass, discussing the "nose" and the different aspects of the sauvignon blanc we had been served. She had an excellent palate, picking out the citrus and grassy notes.

Despite her concern, she enjoyed the oysters, wishing there were more than two.

"Have you decided on your entree?" The ever present waiter had returned and Bella perked up, clearly excited.

"It's so difficult; they all sound wonderful! But I've _always_ wanted to try Kobe beef."

They continued to talk, but it was like white noise to me after she ordered. _Kobe filet_! It was considered an extremely tender type of meat—so much so because of the excessive marbling and fat.

Whenever I took someone out to dinner, I was always clear that I would never allow beef at the table. This hadn't been a problem so far, since they knew I was a heart surgeon and how passionate I therefore was about avoiding red meat. But I had never told Bella. I hated to kill her excitement - she was almost bouncing in her seat.

Beef was the forbidden fruit. I had first tasted it in high school after rebelling against my parents. Once I'd had a burger with my friends, I was eating beef almost exclusively, progressing to processed and fatty foods. After a few months of bacon, sausage, and hotdogs, my body had rebelled. I had gained weight, felt sluggish and had even started developing acne for the first time. I quit cold turkey and never ate that stuff again.

"Edward, are you OK?"

"Oh, sorry. I was thinking about something." I quickly ordered the ostrich steak and selected the cabernet that Bella had looked at earlier. Luckily, she didn't see the four hundred dollar price tag.

I put the thoughts of succulent beef out of my mind and enjoyed the soup, salad and fish courses with Bella. The servings were small, but the wine pairing was a regular glass. We had finished four glasses of wine by the time we were poured the cabernet. If _I_ was feeling the alcohol effects, then I knew Bella - who was much smaller than I - would be feeling them as well.

BPOV

Edward and I swirled the dark cabernet in our glasses. When we held them against the white table cloth, we could see how the color deepened to almost purple at the thicker part of the glass.

"Watch how the wine forms 'legs' down the side of the glass when you straighten it back up." Edward breathed softly next to me, his face inches from mine as we stared at the ever-changing image running down the glass.

He nudged the glass in front of my nose. "Breathe, Bella."

I was assaulted by the smell. "Mmm... woodsy... dark cherry... something kind of spicy and earthy. It smells wonderful."

"Taste."

I took a sip, letting the wine caress my tongue, breathing in through my slightly open mouth like Edward had instructed so that the aroma would enhance the flavor.

"I have no words," I whispered, melting into his deep green eyes.

The spell was broken when the server reappeared. I'd supposed with this many courses he would be at the table often, but damn, I really thought Edward might've kissed me.

I looked at Edward's plate. "That's ostrich? It looks like beef!"

He gave me a small crooked smile as if his mouth were drunk. "Even though it's poultry, it's dark in color, with a meatier taste. Here, try it." He cut a piece and brought it to my lips.

It had a gamier flavor than turkey or duck; more flavorful. "I like it. So unique."

"I'm glad."

EPOV

I watched as Bella's mouth closed around my fork, chewing slowly, eyes closed and making wonderful little moaning sounds. I was mesmerized. This girl drew me in like a magnet.

The wine had dropped my defenses, and I imagined what it would be like to kiss her, long and deep, not some sweet peck on the lips.

"Here, you have to try this. It just melts in your mouth."

_Oh no, beef! _I stared at the juicy morsel of Kobe on her fork, glistening just inches from my mouth. The aroma assaulted me at this distance. My mouth was watering and I licked my lips, still eyeing the beef as it called to me.

"Don't be shy... here." She moved it closer still. I should have just told her that I didn't eat beef, and she may have stopped tempting me. But, I _wanted_ to take this from her... to share the food and flavors with her.

I moved closer and swallowed the saliva that filled my mouth as I debated what to do. I wanted it. Realizing I couldn't resist anymore, I took the meat in my mouth, slipping it slowly off her fork. I moaned as the taste exploded on my tongue, and my eyes closed as I masticated the tender flesh.

"See, fabulous, right?"

I looked over at her, her eyes bright, a rosy glow on her cheeks, and I brushed her face with the back of my hand. "Amazing," I said, not knowing if I meant her, the beef or both.

Without another thought, I moved my hand to the back of her head and pulled her toward me, kissing her deeply. Bella offered no resistance, opening her mouth as our tongues danced. She tasted of the wine, and the blend of all the flavors from our meal. It was intoxicating.

We finally separated, both breathing heavily.

"This is the most decadent meal I've ever had," she murmured.

I agreed with a simple, "Mmm..."

We finished our food, alternating using our forks, and then each others as we fed each other. We had the wine re-corked and I paid, despite protests from Bella. However, once she peeked at the check, her face registered shock.

"Oh my God! That wine was four hundred dollars! Edward, I had no idea."

"Well worth it, sharing it with you. Besides, we still have half the bottle left." I held up the packaged bottle as we walked out of the restaurant toward the B & B.

Walking back, we wrapped our arms around one another in an effort to keep warm—and to steady ourselves as we weaved slightly. We hardly spoke, only sharing periodic smoldering glances.

As we entered the gate, Bella ran to the herb garden and began to brush some of the leaves, crushing them slightly. The smell was unbelievable - sage, basil, thyme and oregano.

"Open the bottle," she said, holding out her hand.

"You want more wine?" I chuckled.

"No, I just want to _smell_ it," she purred. "It has such a wonderful nose." She slurred the last word, drawing it out.

I pulled the cork out and took a deep breath from the bottle, leaning toward the herbs. The combination was heavenly.

"You're right."

She smiled wickedly as she grabbed the bottle to copy my actions, leaning out far toward the basil before she overcorrected. What happened next seemed to pass in a flash.

As she righted herself, her foot slipped from her heeled sandal. Her arms wheeled to regain her balance, and the bottle of Eclipse cabernet went flying in the air. We each instinctively went to grab it, but her fingertips caught the bottom, causing it to spin raining red wine all over her face and sweater.

Since I was farther away, my grab was a second behind hers, and I batted the bottle in the opposite direction, causing it to continue to spray over her and then down on me. Then the bottle crashed on the sidewalk, leaking what was left and soaking the sun label.

We looked at it and then at our disheveled appearance, and Bella broke out in sobs.

"Oh my God, what have I done? I've ruined everything!" She covered her face with her hands, still crying.

I reached out to her, pulling her hands away. "It was an accident. Please, don't cry."

"B...but the whole evening was perfect. I can't believe I broke that bottle. Just look at us." She gestured toward our clothing, each of us sprayed with varying sized spots of wine.

Without thinking, I kissed her cheek with an open mouth, tasting what was there - wine and tears and Bella. "Come in. You can clean up here."

The bathroom was connected to the bedroom with an open archway. I started the shower as she opened her bag, and she pulled out clean clothes to change into. She was defeated.

I took her by the shoulders, turning her toward me. "Please, stop. I have never enjoyed an evening more than I have with you tonight. The wine... it'll be memorable." I shrugged and then kissed her forehead, pushing her hair back and smiling as I felt more wetness, more wine.

"You are the sweetest man." She grabbed the lapels of my jacket and pulled me to her, kissing me hard. Suddenly we were all arms and lips, pulling off clothes, pulling each other closer, and kissing one another all over. We stepped into the shower, melting together as we let the hot water wash away the sadness.

"Bella," I mumbled against her skin. "What are you doing to me? You tempt me like no else ever has." I kissed along her jaw and nibbled on her earlobe. I held her tight, one hand at her back, the other slipping over her breast as we moaned in unison.

"I want to touch you all over."

"Yes, please," she mumbled against my lips.

My hand moved down her stomach, then lower, finding her aroused, her clit swollen. I continued to kiss her then moved down her neck to her breast, sucking her nipple.

BPOV

After being mortified for ruining the evening, Edward and I ended up in the shower and the best night of my life promptly resumed. It had been months since I'd been with Jake, and he'd rarely made me orgasm. After resorting to self-love, I found I could experience what I always called a mini-orgasm, but I seemed to stop at the peak of pleasure. I never seemed to crash over to the other side.

Now, under Edward's touch I was unbelievably aroused and felt myself coiling and building. I felt the familiar peak and was slightly disappointed as I once again stopped there. I leaned against the wall, still in Edward's arms.

"No, baby, you're not done. I can feel it." He breathed huskily into my ear. "Feel it; don't stop. Let go."

He continued his touch slipping a finger inside of me. I tensed, all sensations rising over the edge, and then I shattered as the strongest orgasm I'd ever had crashed through me. My head fell back and I screamed, collapsing as Edward held me up.

"Good girl." He continued to caress me gently.

"That was so good. Edward, I don't want to stop. Do you have a condom?"

"Shit. I don't. I... crap... I didn't really plan on this." This admission kind of made me happy. At least he wasn't a man-whore, searching for one-night stands.

"Ugh, me neither. My roommates keep telling me I need to be prepared. Why didn't I listen to them?"

"Bella. " He stopped my words with kisses. Considering my options, I slipped down his chest, licking and sucking as I went, until I was seated on the built-in shower bench. It was the perfect height. I licked the tip of his cock and was rewarded with a groan.

I peeked up at him and he looked so hot, head thrown back, bracing himself against the shower walls, glistening as the hot water streamed over his skin in rivulets.

He gasped. "Fuck, that feels so good."

I had never been a big fan of blow jobs, but with Edward it was different. I wanted to please him. I sucked and licked, adding my hands at the base since I was unable to put his entire length in my mouth.

In what seemed like just a few minutes, Edward mumbled, "Bella, I'm close," and he began to pull away from my mouth. I stopped him and then his hot stream exploded into my mouth. I couldn't help the continuation of evaluating tastes - he was salty, with a mixture of sweet and spice.

"Jesus, argh..." His legs seemed to be shaky for a moment as he leaned more heavily on his arms. I stood up and we held each other, our hands never stopping their caresses.

We finally began to wash, shampooing and then using a washcloth with the high-end shower gel. We hurried to rinse off as the water began to turn cool. Wrapped in huge fluffy robes, Edward continued to towel dry my hair.

"Stay," he whispered.

I nodded and he reached around from behind to hug me. I reached for my toiletry case to brush my teeth and as I pulled out my toothbrush I noticed a small box. _What was this?_ Edward peeked over my shoulder in response to my small gasp.

There in my hand was a box of condoms with a Post-it note:

Bella,

You need to have some FUN! ;-)

Rose and Alice

Edward and I looked up at one another. He had a slight smirk, his green eyes growing dark with lust. Then he picked me up and carried me to the bed as he kissed me deeply. I held him close, running my hands through his damp hair.

I guess the shower gave us a second wind despite all the wine we had consumed. We were passionate, insatiable, as if we hadn't just had a release in the shower. It was well after 2:00 AM when we collapsed, sated and exhausted.

I woke to my phone alarm, the sound of a soft harp because I hated loud alarms. Edward didn't even stir... he was breathing softly.

I dressed, after texting the cab company and requesting them not to honk. I decided it would be best to just slip out. Reality would probably be awkward as Edward realized it was just regular Bella Swan he had spent the night with. This way, the memory would remain wonderful.

I'd had my fun, like Alice and Rose had suggested, but I needed to concentrate on the reason I was in Napa - to compete, and hopefully win one hundred thousand dollars.

Edward was like a magnet, and he would pull focus away from my goal. I couldn't imagine trying to cook with him right there watching.

I left a note and shut the door quietly.

EPOV

I woke from the best sleep I'd had in a long time. I had been exhausted, working extra shifts to cover the weekend I would be away. But when I reached over for Bella, the sheets were cold. I sat up and looked around... the room was empty, her suitcase gone from the bathroom.

Then I found a note.

Dear Edward,

Thank you for the most wonderful evening of my life. I will never forget it.

Bella

"Noooo!" I moaned, my head falling into my hands. She was gone and she hadn't mentioned what hotel she was staying at. I didn't have her cell number, or even her last name. I only knew she attended the University of Washington and was a senior English major.

I sat on the bed slumped over as I shook my head slowly. Originally I hadn't wanted to give her too many specifics about myself and now it had backfired.

I had considered skipping the competition, and inviting Bella to spend her free time with me. But now I had no way to contact her and wondered if I would ever see her again?

Sighing, I went to get ready for the meetings and interviews planned for today. I would fulfill my obligation, like I always did, but it would be with a heavy heart.


	2. Chapter 2 Walk of Shame

**Warnings and Disclaimer: **

The Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I own Cooking Competition Encounter.

A/N I'm finishing it! There will be a long note at the end, explanations, blah, blah, blah. I know it's been long so here it is.

Chapter 2 Walk of Shame

BPOV

I dragged my wheeled suitcase to the main entrance of the Victorian hotel. I'd hoped to sneak in before anyone was awake. Hah! No such luck. There was a camera crew from the Food Network setting up equipment.

"May I help you?" asked the young woman behind the desk, with an eyebrow lifted. She knew I was doing the "walk of shame."

"Hi," I said. "I was supposed to get in last night..." I gave a shrug.

She gave me the standard check in smile as I gave her my name.

"Here is your key, and the updated schedule for the contest," she said.

I followed her directions to my room. It was located on the ground floor, small but lovely and filled with what looked like antiques. There was a welcome note next to a bottle of Chardonnay that had been on ice. It sat in water now, reminding me that I was supposed to have arrived yesterday. Like I needed more wine right now.

I threw open my suitcase, grabbed my on-camera interview clothes and turned on the iron while I headed to the bathroom with my toiletries. I was surprised by my reflection. Even though I was tired, my face looked healthy and relaxed. I guess great sex would do that to a girl.

With one hand I texted Alice and Rose, even though I knew they were probably still asleep, while I ironed with the other. Then I rushed to shower and dress for our meetings.

EPOV

I checked in at the winery after checking out at the Bed and Breakfas. I kept my Ray-Bans on.

"Here is your key, Dr. Cullen. You're in one of the bungalows." The woman slid a map across the desk toward me. "We're here, and your bungalow is here, at the vineyard property, just a couple of miles away," she said as she pointed out the locations on the map. "That's where the culinary center is. We're having the welcome dinner there this evening, so that'll be convenient."

Good. I could get drink and not worry about driving_._

"You probably don't have time to go there and get back on time for the first meeting. There's coffee and pastries in the sunroom. The breakfast buffet is over," she said.

"That's fine. Coffee would be great." I scanned the updated schedule she had given me. "Where is the patio?" We were supposed to meet there for our first meeting and demonstrations.

"Go back out the door and follow the sidewalk to your left," she said. "I would love to walk you there, but I have to stay at the desk. There's so much going on with the contest and all. I'm Lauren," she said, offering her hand.

"Hi. Thanks," I said in an even voice, giving her a quick handshake, after noticing her name and phone number written on the map.

I found the patio, after grabbing some coffee. It was nice, enclosed by a waist-high wall with landscaping beds filled with flowers and bushes that allowed privacy. I settled into a seat at the back near the wall. I certainly wasn't interested in chatting with the other contestants. Several were at the front, gathered around the grill talking like they had way too much caffeine.

I had this same brand of grill and didn't need to get a tutorial. I just wanted to get through the meeting, do my interview, and head to my room. I closed my eyes behind my sunglasses and leaned back in my chair to wait.

I tensed at the sound of an annoying phone ringing to my right, with some crazy song as the ringtone, and the sound of digging in a purse?

"Shoot... Hi, Alice. Look, I can't talk now. A meeting is about to start." It was the sound of low embarrassed whisper. It was the sound of _Bella_.

I smiled. This is why she left so early, she had to get to the contest. I began to stand up to go to her, but I froze at her next words.

"I'll call as soon as I can. We have to talk. I did something really stupid last night..." I couldn't hear the rest of her short conversation, since she had quickly walked away.

I was immobile, between sitting and standing, my hands still on the arms of the chair. She thought our night was a mistake. I sunk back into my chair slowly. No wonder she left that note without any way for me to contact her. _Wonderful evening?_ I guess she was just trying to be nice.

She returned almost immediately. I watched as she made her way to the remaining available chair, in the first row.

"Welcome, everyone! My name is Caius, and I am the head judge for the 'Build The Best Burger' contest. You are an elite group: the top ten out of more than four thousand entries." Servers walked in carrying trays of champagne flutes and began to pass them to all of us.

"I'd like each of you to introduce yourself, your full name, your occupation, and why you entered. But first, a toast. To the you, the creators of the best burger recipes."

I took the obligatory sip and opened my contest booklet to the section listing the recipe names and contestants. She must be _Isa_bella Swan.

I didn't pay much attention to the first few intros. James was a highway patrolman. Angela was a housewife who apparently spent all her free time entering contests. Shelly Cope was a retired school teacher, also into contests. Jasper was a rancher from Texas, and emphasized that he raised only hormone free cattle. That was cool. If you were going to eat beef, that is.

My interest peaked when Mike Newton introduced himself. He was the asshole from the conference call. He made a big show of describing himself as a webpage designer. They finally cut him off when he started to list all the contests he'd been in. I guess there was a cooking contest subculture out there I never knew about.

"Um ... hi, I'm Isabella Swan. But please, call me Bella," she said in a slightly shaky voice.

"I'm a senior at the University of Washington, majoring in English. Like most of us here, I love to cook, and I hope to earn some tuition money." She smiled shyly and hurriedly sat down.

The intros continued, Gianna, Victoria, blah, blah blah. I lost interest after Bella spoke.

"I guess that leaves you," Caius said, looking directly at me. _Shit. _I wasn't paying attention.

"Oh, sorry, I'm Edward Cullen." As I said this, I saw Bella stiffen, and slowly turn around, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. We stared at each other until Caius interrupted.

"And what do you do?"

"As a heart surgeon, I'm always looking for healthy recipes to offer my patients." I shrugged a bit and sat down. Bella had abruptly turned back to face the front.

BPOV

_Oh my God! He's here!_ My breathing quickened, and I smiled. Fate had given me a chance to undo my stupid mistake of not leaving my number for him to call me. I relaxed knowing I would talk to him again.

I could hardly pay attention to our presentation as they explained how to season the new grills with oil and how to use the automatic starter to light the grill. They refilled our champagne glasses. I guess they drink early and often here in the wine country. I drank it down, hoping for some liquid courage to face Edward. _Doctor_ Edward Cullen. He was the guy whose voice I loved on the conference call. What was it about him? I seemed to be attracted to him like a magnet.

A guy with dreadlocks stepped to the front.

"Hi, I'm Laurent, and I will be directing the filming of the contest for the Food Network. First, we will do some group shots. Then we'll have two crews filming your interviews. If you'll just stay in this area or by the filming, we'll pull each of you one at a time. Then you are free to go, yes?" He looked over at Caius, who looked at a small blond woman with a clipboard.

"Yes, there will be a lunch buffet in the sunroom. Help yourselves whenever you have time. Once the filming is over, you'll be free until dinner at the culinary center," she said. "I'm Jane, by the way... we talked on the phone. Let me know if you'll need a ride there. I know some of you took the wine country shuttle rather than renting a car."

I'd hoped to talk to Edward, but they immediately divided us up into the beef and alternate categories. They filmed us standing in a line, arms crossed and looking competitive. We did that about a million times, from different angles. Then we walked down the sidewalk in the gardens, individually and together. Again, looking determined, and again, about a million times.

I assumed the other film crew had done the same with the other group.

I leaned against the concrete wall and rubbed my sore feet. Why did I buy new shoes for this?

"Hi, Bella. It's so good to see you again."

"Yeah ... Hi, Mike." I looked back down as I continued my foot massage.

"This has been really cool. They film a lot for this contest, compared to the other ones I've been in. I can't wait for my interview. I have all my talking points," he babbled.

I just stared at him. _Talking points? Seriously? _God, I hated him. "Well, I know some of the things I want to say. I think they're just going to ask us questions, right?"

"Well, I think it's important to have some dialogue ready. You know, to sound really good on camera." Right. It was going to take lots of dialogue to make Mike sound good. Well, maybe less dialogue would be better in his case.

Thankfully, Laurent gathered both groups together, and I tried to move away from Mike, and toward Edward. Unfortunately, he followed me like a lost puppy.

"We have two locations set up to film. Ladies, I know how you are. You may want to check your hair and makeup. I'll start with the guys." He looked down at a clipboard. "Um ... Edward Cullen and Mike Newton."

They headed off in different directions with their respective crews. I watched Edward walk away. He was graceful in an athletic sort of way. He wore a button down shirt that looked like it must be custom made since it fit his chest perfectly. His grey slacks were also ideal. I decided a stop in the bathroom to regroup would be a good idea.

A redhead, whose name I forgot and Shelly were in there chatting. I smiled and headed to the mirror to reapply lip-gloss. By the time I made it out to where Edward was filming, they seemed to be well into the interview.

"I chose venison, since it's a lean, yet hearty meat. I think it's important to eat a heart healthy diet." From where I stood, I could see how he was framed in the camera. He looked unbelievable. The camera loved him. And why not? He was gorgeous.

"You don't eat beef, then?"

"No, not since high school ... um ... well, once since then," he mumbled.

He didn't eat meat? But he did last night. I'd given him a bite of Kobe beef.

"Really? What made you try it again?" the interviewer pressed.

"It was a first date," Edward said quietly. He had a faraway look as he said it.

"Must've been worth it then," he said with a laugh.

Edward looked at him seriously and said, "No. I found out later she thought the evening was a mistake." He looked directly at me.

Oh no, he must have heard me on the phone with Alice. He thinks _he's_ the mistake. No, no. I should've left you my name and number. That was the mistake.

He took off the microphone clipped to his shirt and was out of the chair like a shot, moving in the opposite direction from where I was standing.

"Miss Swan?" said a man.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Let's get this microphone on you and we'll start filming, okay?"

I went through the answers as best as I could, trying to smile. I described my burger, how I had been cooking since I was a child since my mom sucked at it. It went by in a haze. I hoped I didn't sound like an idiot.

When he finally released me and asked for the next person, I sighed in relief. I wanted this to be over so I could get to my room. And do what? I wasn't sure, but I knew I had to stop and think.

"Okay, I think we have enough. Good luck tomorrow... and hey... just relax in front of the camera tomorrow. You'll be fine. Just pretend we're your friends, and you're cooking for us," Laurent said with a wink. I nodded, smiled weakly and made my way back to my room.

I needed a plan. I needed to talk to Alice and Rose. They would help me. They always had answers to my dilemmas.

"Hey Bella! Ready for some lunch? I waited for you." There stood Mike, a stupid grin on his face.

I stared at him. How could this guy be such an idiot? What did I have to do to get rid of him? "I'm not hungry," I said quickly and brushed past him. I knew it was rude, but I just didn't care anymore.

When I got to my room, I shut the door and leaned against it heavily, as if it was the only thing keeping me upright. I pulled out my phone, and let my purse drop to the floor.

There was a text from Alice: What did you do? Call me!

I felt like I wanted to curl up. I hit send.

"Bella?"

"Alice..." I couldn't get any more words out as I started to sob.

"Did that guy hurt you?"

"No, it was me," I sputtered.

"_You_ hurt him? Well, that _was stupid._" Leave it to Alice to try and lighten the situation.

"I went to dinner with Edward at Twilight. It was the best meal I ever had. And he bought some great and really expensive wine. It was wonderful and romantic. He's smart and knowledgeable and sexy and so handsome..."

"That doesn't sound stupid," she said quietly.

"No." I sighed and tried to continue. "We had to walk a few blocks back to his bed and breakfast so I could get my luggage and call a cab. We had half of the _four hundred dollar_ bottle of Cabernet left from dinner, and I wanted Edward to smell the wine along with the herbs in the garden."

"That sounds wonderful. When do you get to the stupid part?"

"I lost my balance, and when I tried to right myself, the bottle went flying. We each tried to catch it, but we ended up spraying wine all over us and the bottle was broken." I started to cry again.

"Oh... well, that's kinda stupid, but it was an accident," Alice said.

"I know. That's not the stupid part." I could hear an exasperated huff through the phone. "I had to change my clothes, then Edward and I ended up kissing and taking a shower together."

I had started pacing by now and noticed that on a small table by the window, was the welcome bottle of Chardonnay on replenished ice. _Yes! _I put the phone on speaker and struggled with the corkscrew.

"So that was stupid?"

"No! It was wonderful," I said sadly. "He was wonderful. And then he asked me to spend the night, and I found the condoms you guys left for me. And _no,_ it wasn't stupid!" I yelled in exasperation.

I finally got some wine in the glass and took a large gulp. The cold, oaky liquid quenched my thirst. _Oaky liquid?_ I was even thinking like Edward.

I could tell Alice must be fidgeting in her seat in the car, so I continued. "I had the most wonderful night with him. I woke up and left him a note, saying it was the best night of my life and left without waking him."

"That's not stupid, Bella. You had to go to your meetings at the winery. I'll bet he'll call," she said, trying to reassure me.

"I didn't leave him my number! Or my last name!"

"Okayyyy, that was stupid."

"I knowwww!" I whined. I could hear Emmett in the background saying girls always complain that guys don't call and she didn't give him her number.

"Quiet, Em! Maybe we can find him, Bella. Don't worry. We'll start at the hotel..."

I cut her off. "He's here!"

"What?"

"He's a contestant. He's the heart surgeon with the sexy voice."

"That's great then! You found him."

"No. He heard me talking to you earlier. I said I made a big mistake last night. He thinks _he_ was the mistake."

"So, all you have to do is talk to him." I hated Alice's peppiness and optimism.

"You didn't see his face. He looked like he hated me, with some hurt mixed in. What am I going to do? I'm supposed to be worrying about the contest, and I'm just distracted by Edward."

They passed the phone around the car, each talking to me, giving me advice and encouragement, while I continued to drink. Finally I hung up, feeling exhausted. They seemed to think I was overreacting, and I should just go up to him and tell him what happened.

After washing my face and finishing half the bottle of wine, I laid down for a nap. I set my phone alarm and plugged it in the charger. I had to get a grip.

I awoke feeling a bit better, revived. Since the dinner was outdoors, I wore skinny jeans and a jacket. The boots pulled the look together. I let my hair fall in soft waves and carefully applied makeup to cover the lingering effects of my earlier crying while not looking too overdone. I put my phone in my pocket, not wanting to keep track of a purse.

I walked to the front and joined the small group taking the van over to the culinary center. I slipped in the seat next to Angela, noticing the frown on Mike's face in the next row. "You're Angela, right? I saw you compete in the Gilroy Garlic contest."

"That was me. It was a fun one. Not much money, but it's prestigious."

"I competed there a few years ago," Mike interrupted. I stopped listening as Mike gave us the play by play from that contest.

Finally free from the prison with Mike, we headed to a table where we were greeted, and given our plastic engraved nametags which were to be held with a strong magnet on the inside of our shirt. These were much nicer than adhesive ones, and I didn't have to worry about a pin damaging the fabric.

I took a glass of Merlot and looked around to see if Edward was there yet. Many of the contestants brought a spouse or companion, and they seemed to stick together. The few of us singles wandered by ourselves. I was so glad Mike had found some poor server who seemed interested in his ramblings.

I stood in front of a large table that was set for about forty. It was completely sheltered by grapevines that turned it into a covered patio. It was beautiful.

"It's nice, isn't it," stated a server who came up next to me. I exchanged my empty glass for a full one.

"It's wonderful."

"This is where we hold lots of small wedding receptions or rehearsal dinners," he said. "It's very popular."

"I can see why," I said, running my hands up the entwined vines.

It was dusk, and the candles twinkled in the dimming light on the table. Each place setting was set with china with the Volturi winery logo on it. There were several glasses placed for white, red and dessert wines.

I looked at the time on my phone. It was almost time to gather, and Edward was still a no-show. He must have one of the bungalows here, since I didn't see his rental car back at the winery, or maybe he was just out. I guess I'd turned into a stalker now. But I wanted to talk to him before we went in to check and approve our ingredients.

EPOV

I was lucky I got the microphone off my collar without breaking it. I all but ran to my car, wanting to get as far away from Bella as I could.

Twenty-four hours ago I was calmly getting on a plane, and it seemed inconceivable that I had gone through so many highs and lows since then. Somehow I arrived at the bungalow, and I quickly changed into my running clothes and headed out, foregoing my usual stretching.

Any other day I would have soaked up the beauty of the landscape, the neat rows of vines with rosebushes planted at each end rushed by me in a blur. But it took a while for the rhythm of my footfalls to calm me.

I thought about the whole evening, replaying our discussions and our meal. Had I imagined how easy we were together? Then the shower, the most erotic one I'd ever had. After she found the condoms, we used two in the bedroom.

_I picked her up and carried her to the king-sized bed. Our hair was still damp and our bodies slightly moist, despite drying off with towels. She smelled fabulous._

_I dropped her down on the bed and immediately hovered over her, crashing my lips to hers. She opened her mouth, her tongue tasting me and swirling around mine. Her hands gripped my hair and pulled me closer, then one slipped down my neck dragging her nails lightly over my back._

"Stop it," I yelled to myself. I came to a stop, hands on my knees and tried to catch my breath after my jog had changed to a dead run.

I stood up and started a slow trot back. I had to stop obsessing about Isabella and focus on the contest.

When I walked into my room, I vowed to separate myself from her as much as possible. It would be as if last night never existed.

I collapsed on the bed and fell into a fitful sleep.

I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. I grabbed it and saw it was the hospital.

"Hello," I said.

"Edward? How's it going, son?"

"Uh ... hey, Dad. It's fine. I was napping," I replied.

"Sorry to disturb your sleep. I just wanted to let you know, our flight has been delayed into San Francisco due to fog. It'll be late, so your mom and I will stay there, and drive up in the morning."

"That's fine. We have a dinner tonight and need to okay the ingredients they provide for us. I hope the venison is good quality," I said.

He chuckled. "I'm sure it'll be fine. You worry too much, Edward. Just relax ... this isn't heart surgery. Your mom is so excited to come up and watch the competition. She invited Kate. How was the dinner at Twilight, by the way?

"The food was fantastic as usual," I said. I wasn't going to elaborate on the evening with Bella. I only hoped Kate wouldn't tell Mom about her. But once they see each other, it would probably come out. Years of concentrating on med school had given me little time to date, and Mom thought it was her job to set me up. I sighed.

"Look, Dad, I need to get going. I went for a run and need to take a shower."

"Okay. We'll see you in the morning."

I walked into the bathroom and glared at the shower and turned on the water. As it heated up, I opened the Merlot left in my room. Ignoring any pretense of swirling and tasting, I gulped a large glass. I stalked into the stall and slammed the glass door. It would take more than a glass of wine to forget about Bella.

I threw on black jeans and a dark green cashmere sweater over a grey button down shirt. I took a deep breath and left the bungalow. The culinary center and outdoor venue was about a hundred yards away. There was a party atmosphere, music playing and waiters passing around food and drink. I headed in that direction.

As if waiting for me, Bella was standing on the outskirts of the area lit with lanterns. She took a step in my direction. I tried to keep my face from showing any emotion as I changed my direction slightly away from where she was. She moved again to intercept me as I walked.

Fine, I guess we're going to talk. I held her gaze and closed the distance.

A/N I wrote this as a one shot for a contest. With over 100 entries, a few people read it. Later, I decided I needed to move it to my author site. I got a few more readers. Duh, I had my alerts off and didn't realize anyone was reading. So, thank you! Because of you, I am finishing this. (I was working on a new multi-chapter fic to post, when I discovered my readers. I post that when I finish this.) See you soon. Let me know what you think. I promise to reply now.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Here is your Souvenir Gift

**A/N I forgot to thank my betas when I posted Chapter 2. Sobs! So a belated thank you to shinrai and shouvley from Project Team Beta. They made my writing look pretty and moved all the extra commas I had to the places where they were missing.**

**This chapter was betaed by kitchmill and StoryPainter. I added a few bits, so all the mistakes and comma errors are mine.**

**I also realized I mistakenly called the winery Volturi. It's Venturi, as I wrote originally in chapter 1. There is a reason for the difference.**

**The Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_**EPOV**_

I held her gaze and closed the distance. She obviously wanted to talk. Fine. I've faced more difficult situations in my life. I was almost to her, and she opened her mouth to speak. I smirked when I saw that the server had come up behind her.

"Would you care for some wine?" asked the young woman.

Bella's mouth snapped shut, startled by the intrusion. Her eyes narrowed at the woman.

"Yes, thank you," I said. "What varieties are you serving this evening?"

"We're starting with a Venturi Sauvignon Blanc, if you care for white wine. It's crisp, with notes of grapefruit," she said as she stepped closer to me.

I picked up the glass and made a show of swirling it and smelling the aroma. I didn't expect that much from Venturi's winery for the masses, but I enjoyed making Bella wait. It was clear she didn't want to "chat" in front of anyone else. She hadn't said a word yet as she shifted from one foot to another. I took a sip.

"Hmm ... what's the red?" I asked.

"It's a Merlot. A mellow sipping wine. I think you will find it's more complex," she said. "And I would be more than willing to make sure you have _all _that you want."

I refrained from rolling my eyes, but Bella wasn't able to.

"This is fine," I said after taking a drink of the Merlot.

"Would you care for an appetizer?" another voice asked. This woman was almost my height and too thin to have such large breasts. They had to be fake. "The bruschetta would go nicely with the red," she continued.

"Thanks," I said and took a close look at the ingredients on the toasted bread.

"Is there something wrong?" asked fake-tits.

"I don't eat beef," I said. "Would you let me know if there are any hidden products in the food, beef broth or any animal fat product, excessive amounts of butter**—**"

"Absolutely!" she said cutting me off. "I'll make sure you're taken care of. I'll go check the menu personally."

I stared at her as she swished her boney hips exaggeratedly, heading straight for a building. Two people tried to get an hors d'oeuvrefrom her tray, but she ignored them as she walked at a brisk pace. I turned to face Bella, ready to talk. I was once again interrupted, this time by a sound.

_Clink, clink. _Wine glasses were being tapped with some utensil from the small patio in front of the building I assumed was the kitchen/culinary center.

"Welcome, everyone. We are so happy to host this dinner for all of you who have so kindly worked and created recipes for our little contest."

"Little contest," Bella muttered. "This is one of the top five."

There was applause.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Aro Volturi, owner of Venturi wines. Our culinary director, Marcus has asked me to have all the contestants get a little business taken care of. Invited guests, volunteers, please enjoy the wine and the ambiance. Only contestants inside please."

Bella and I followed along with the others to the large, professional kitchen. She touched my arm, and I paused.

"I'd like to speak to you, when we get a chance," she whispered.

"Bella, Edward, right this way," said Jane, as she ushered us into the kitchen to join the others. She continued speaking louder. "We're running a bit late. Your name is at your station. Beef category over there," she announced, pointing to her left. "Alternative contestants over here." She gestured in the other direction, and everyone walked around looking for their assigned spot.

There was a long line of industrial, metal prep tables. Each contestant had two boxes. There was also a tote bag with the winery logo.

Marcus cleared his throat. "Okay, everyone, my staff and I have personally selected your ingredients from local venders. There is a copy of your recipe in your non-perishable box. Please be sure you have all your ingredients and that you are happy with the quality and amount. Then sign the form, approving them. Feel free to take the items out and look them over, taste them, whatever you need. But be sure to return them to the correct box. One will go in the walk-in refrigerator."

I took out all the items and methodically examined them. Once I deemed them acceptable, I placed a checkmark on my recipe and returned them to their proper location. I saved the venison for last. I opened the wrapped package, smelling and checking the meat closely.

"Excuse me, Edward," said Marcus. "I want you to know that we'll be happy to grind that meat for you. Almost all the contestants start with ground meat. You would be at a time disadvantage tomorrow doing it yourself."

"Hmm ... will I be able to supervise?" I said.

"Sure." He called over someone in chef whites, who led me to a corner close to where Bella was. He began grinding the deer meat. Truthfully, he did a better job than I did at home. I looked around the room. Marcus had moved over to talk to other contestants one by one. The redhead asked for another lime, concerned that the amount that would be squeezed out wouldn't be adequate.

Bella was at her station. She had all of her items put away, except for the portabella mushrooms she had in her hand. She was scrutinizing each one in the container. She held it close to her face and smelled and turned each one over. I had to admit I enjoyed watching her. She was so lovely while she enjoyed the simple pleasure of the smell of food.

"All done," said the guy with my meat. "I'll wrap this up and bring it over to you."

I nodded and made my way back.

"Okay," said Jane. "While you finish up, I have a few things to tell you. You can use the tote bag to bring anything you need to your work area tomorrow. Many of you have your own copy of your recipe with notes on it, or special tools or equipment we didn't provide. Remember, no cell phones or any type of electronic device in the cooking area. Also, if you look inside the bag, you'll find your apron and polo shirt that you'll need to wear. Be sure they are the correct size."

She looked up from her clipboard. Her serious face changed to a genuine smile. "You will also find something special in there. We hope you enjoy your souvenir gift."

I opened the long box. It contained an expensive Japanese knife. I recognized the signature dimpled handle. Engraved on it were the contest name and the year. That was kind of cool.

"Hey, Bella," Mike Newton called out.

I snapped my head up in time to see her slump slightly and raise her head to look at him. _Douche._

"Check this out," he continued. "I practice cutting without looking."

He held half an onion on his cutting board, using the proper cutting technique with curled in fingers. He diced with the new knife as he looked at her.

"And why do you do that?" Bella asked.

"When I get my cooking show, I want to be comfortable. All the TV chefs cut while they talk to the camera," he said with a cocky grin.

"You're getting a show? You've got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed.

He paused his movement. "What? I could get one. I don't have one yet ... " He shrugged and gestured with his knife.

Bella had flustered him with her outburst. He returned to cutting but didn't look down. _Big mistake._ He let out a very unmanly scream as he sliced open his middle finger. He released the onion but held his hand a few inches above it. As if someone had pressed the pause button, everything seemed to freeze for a moment, and we all stared at the finger's deep gash with blood gushing down his hand.

And like the play button was pressed to return things to normal, all hell broke loose. "Oh my God!" "Ewww" "He's bleeding!" "Do something!" It seemed like only Bella, Marcus and I remained calm. I moved through the gathering crowd toward a whimpering Mike.

"He'll need stitches," I said after leaning over the table to examine the finger that had a large flap of skin and flesh hanging open. I began to wrap the finger with a towel that Marcus handed me.

"You're not working on me," said Mike.

"No, I'm not. I've been drinking wine," I said like I was talking to a child. A drunk child. An obnoxious, drunk child.

"We'll take him to the ER," Marcus said to me.

I raised Mike's arm to shoulder height. "Keep it up. It'll reduce the blood flow." As Marcus began to lead him toward the door, I turned to make a remark about Mike to Bella. Her face was very pale, and there were beads of sweat on her forehead and upper lip. _Oh no. _"Bella, are you**—**"

Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed in a faint. I barely caught her. I hesitated to lay her down on the kitchen floor where people had been walking after being in the damp grass areas outside.

I checked her pulse with one hand, keeping my other arm around her.

"Bella."

I ignored the new screams and comments as I focused on her.

"What did you do to her?" yelled Mike, who had moved over to us.

I stared at him while trying to keep calm and spoke slowly through clenched teeth. "I think she passed out from seeing _blood._"

"You don't know that. She could have low blood sugar, or maybe she had too much to drink ... "

"Instead of calling her inebriated or ill, why don't you go take care of your accidental injury," I said.

"Ugh ... " murmured the beauty in my arms. "Blood ... so much blood ..."

Marcus grabbed Mike by the shoulder and urged him toward the door. "Let's go."

"But what about her? She should come with me and get checked out."

Upon hearing that, Bella's eyes grew wide and she shook her head slightly.

"I'm fine," she said. Then looked at his hand with the blood-soaked towel and held up her hand to shield her eyes from the sight. "Oh God, he's still bleeding."

"Take him," I said. "And someone get me a cool, damp cloth."

"555-6176," she said.

"What?" I began to wonder if she really did have some medical condition as she began to say random numbers.

"My stupid mistake," she said softly. "I forgot to give you my number." She closed her eyes, as Angela came up and pressed the cool cloth to her face.

I had to chuckle that the first thing she would say directly to me would be that. It must have been really bothering her. I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

Angela raised an eyebrow at me and handed me the cloth. "Why don't I let you take care of her," she said, smiling. "You being a doctor and all." She stood up, and motioned to the others to step further back. "C'mon, people, give her some air."

"Bella," I whispered as I touched the cloth to her face. "Let me take you out of here. The air is cooler outside."

She nodded, and I picked her up with one arm under her knees, the other behind her back. I brought her over to a small outdoor loveseat with a cushioned seat. I was reluctant to separate from her. So rather than placing her on the couch, I sat down with her. I shifted her so her legs were over the armrest, her head on my lap. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm mortified," she said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

I laughed again. "Physically?"

"I feel better, now that I'm away from all that blood. It's so stupid. But, I've always been that way."

Big-tit waitress came over then. "Dr. Cullen, can I get you anything? Everyone's preoccupied with the guy headed to the ER."

"I think Bella could use some water. Thanks," I replied, keeping my eyes on Bella.

"And you? More Merlot?"

I looked up at her. "I'm good for now."

Finally alone, I ran my thumb at her hairline, pushing a few strands away from her face. "Were you serious? About your mistake, I mean?"

"Yes. How could you think our evening was a mistake? It was wonderful."

I opened my mouth, and closed it again as I looked into her eyes. "I didn't think it was a mistake. But I thought you did after hearing what you said on the phone**—**"

"How is she? Isabella, right?" asked Caius before taking Bella's hand. "I'm so sorry about all this. We didn't mean to ignore you. Jane and Marcus were preoccupied with taking care of Mike."

"I'm fine," she said as she started to sit up.

I tried to keep her lying down.

"Really ... I'm okay," she said. I reluctantly let her sit up.

"We're going to continue with the dinner. They'll be serving the salad in about ten minutes. We'd be happy to bring you dinner if you'd rather go to your room and rest," Caius said.

_**BPOV**_

I was so embarrassed that I fainted after seeing the big cut on stupid Mike's finger. Thanks to him, I made a spectacle of myself. The good thing though, was I got to fall into Edward's arms. His strong, yummy arms, covered by the softest sweater that smelled wonderful. So maybe it was worth it.

They continued with the dinner eventually, and Edward led me to the only seats left at the very long table, right across from Aro. He gave a speech of welcome again, apologizing for the incident in the kitchen. Because really, we just hadn't talked about it enough.

"I hate that the incident in the kitchen will cause any additional stress to you, our contestants," said Aro. "As a way of apology, I've asked the staff to open some special wine. You know Venturi is our large winery in America. However, you may not know that I also own the Volturi winery in Italy. The staff is decanting a lovely Cabernet so that it will be ready with our entree." Right on cue, a server placed the decanter in front of us. The empty bottle of Eclipse was placed next to it.

I gasped and looked over at Edward.

"Must be a good omen," he said with a smile.

"As long as I don't drop it. I think I'll let you pour."

While we ate our salad, I think every contestant came over to make sure I was okay. Most were nice.

"Miss Bella, I'm glad you're feeling better," said a tall blond with a Texas accent. "I'm afraid you gave us a bit of a scare, little lady."

I giggled, surprised that people really talked like this. "I'm feeling fine, thank you. You must be Jasper, the rancher right?" He stood there in cowboy boots and jeans.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied and turned to Edward and extended his hand. "We all owe you our thanks, doc. Bet ya didn't think you'd have any patients here, right?"

Edward shook his hand. "I don't mind having such a sweet and lovely patient," he said, and rubbed my arm.

I think Jasper took the hint to stay away from me, and moved back to his seat at the table.

But James and Victoria were weird.

"You're making the burger with camembert and portabellas, right?" The tall redhead stood close to me, with James by her side.

"That's me," I said with a shrug.

"The employees say you're a frontrunner."

"Really? Wow, that's nice."

"Don't look so surprised. You have wonderful taste," Edward commented.

"So, do you two know each other?" asked James.

"We met on the plane ride here and drove up together," said Edward.

"Hmm ... it just seems like you two are so comfortable with each other."

He'd wiggled his eyebrows. He was a pig. Even if he was right about Edward and me, he didn't have to be so blatantly rude about it. I guess he thought we just fuck anyone we meet on a regular basis. Asshole.

Anyway, the way he and Victoria hung around each other, you would think they were having sex, too.

"Well, good luck tomorrow," purred Victoria.

"This may be the most exciting contest ever," said James with a smile. The smile was gone, however, when he looked over his shoulder as they walked away.

"So, you know some of these people? From other contests?" asked Edward.

"Yeah, I've been in a few this past year. Mrs. Cope and Angela are nice."

"I started cooking because I didn't want to eat prepackaged food. And you never really know about the ingredients most restaurants use."

I nodded.

"Why do you like to cook?" He was turned to me, focusing on me like everything I said was so important.

I smiled. "It started out with survival. I got tired of the few things my dad made. Then I started reading cookbooks and watching the Food Network. I love trying exotic food. I can't afford to travel there, so it's the next best thing," I said. "I hope to visit other countries someday. Did you know some contests include trips as a prize? That would be great."

"I'm sure you'll get to do that, Bella."

We were served our main course, big juicy steaks with a red wine reduction, a pesto pasta and grilled mixed vegetables. Edward had a chicken breast. He looked down at his plate and sighed.

"Ah yes, you're a heart specialist," said Aro. "Would you like the Cab or would you prefer white, perhaps a Chardonnay?" He held the decanter, ready to pour.

"I think I'll choose the Eclipse. I had it last night and it paired wonderfully with my ostrich steak. Even if it may overwhelm the chicken, I can't resist."

After serving us, he excused himself. If only the server would leave us alone. I couldn't stand the way she hovered around Edward, giving him ingredient updates for all the food, and constant refills. He just didn't want to eat beef! She acted like he would go into anaphylactic shock if it touched his lips.

Unlike our dinner at Twilight, we'd only conversed a bit. Our chairs were close to each other, and now we were touching from our hips to our feet. He was like a magnet, pulling me in. His sexy smell and the heat from his body reminded me of last night and the orgasms he'd given me. I wasn't sure how long I could stand the _façade_. I wanted to kiss him deeply and mark him as mine.

I shook my head. I needed to get my head in the game and focus on the competition. There would be time for Edward later, in Seattle. I lifted the glass of port, the last wine served, and sipped.

Eventually Jane stood up. "I hope you enjoyed your dinner. Remember, the call time for the alternate category is eight am, and the beef category is nine. Come dressed and camera ready, and don't be late. Those of you that rode here on the van, it will be leaving in ten minutes. Be there or find your own way back. Goodnight everyone."

"Well, that's me," I said. "I came in the van."

"Can we talk for a bit? I can give you a ride back."

I looked into his deep green eyes. "I'd like that."

He stood and led me out onto the grounds, closer to the rows of grapes and away from the lights. We stopped next to a tree, and he positioned us so we were partially hidden from the parking lot and the activity there.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

I looked down at my feet. "Fine, really. I feel so stupid." He placed two fingers under my chin and gently lifted my head up.

"It's very common for blood to have that effect. I've seen med students drop in the ER many times. Don't be so hard on yourself." He gazed at me.

"Uh ... I bet you never did," I said softly.

He smiled his beautiful Edward smile. "I should hope not. I'm a heart surgeon after all," he said as he stepped closer. We were almost touching.

"Do you like that? Being a doctor, I mean."

He didn't answer. Instead he kissed me. He pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me. I grabbed his shoulders and brought one hand up into his hair. His lips were soft, and he tasted like dark chocolate and wine. I moaned as I melted against his hard body.

"I have wine in my room," he murmured against my mouth.

I smiled. My lips never leaving his. "So do I. There's wine everywhere."

"Stay with me."

"I shouldn't." I kissed him deeper, our tongues swirling.

He broke our kiss, keeping his forehead against mine. "You're right. We have to be ready early." He took a deep breath. "Let me get my car keys." He took my hand and led me toward the bungalows.

He unlocked the door and I stepped inside with him. He walked to the dresser and grabbed the key. He looked so handsome, his lips a deeper shade of red than earlier in the evening. He took the few steps back to me ... and I grabbed him and shut the door with my elbow. I turned and pushed him up against it.

He dropped the keys and grabbed me. "Oh God, you make me break all the rules."

I pulled his sweater up, and he pulled it off the rest of the way. I began to unbuckle his pants, but I had to stop as he pushed my jacket off. The rest of our clothes followed quickly. I think I heard a button bounce on the hardwood floor.

He picked me up and we landed on the bed. He lips moved down my jaw, and then he nibbled just below my ear, his breath hot. I gasped as he moved to my breast, kissing and sucking. My hands traced the strong muscles of his back. His hard cock was pressed between us. I froze.

"Shit."

He stopped and looked up at me.

"The condoms are in my room," I said with a sigh.

He gave me a sexy smile, and reached over to bedside table drawer. He pulled out a box. "After being with you, I vowed to always be prepared. I almost missed out on the best sex of my life."

He made his way down my body and kissed between my thighs. He didn't even ask if I was okay with this, but immediately began to lick and kiss my clit.

"Jeez ... Oh God ... shit," I babbled. Now that I knew what an Edward induced orgasm felt like, I could feel myself building. He slipped two fingers inside me, as he continued to suck and hum. I screamed as the wave crashed over me. He didn't stop and a second orgasm followed soon after. I screamed again and held his head. My oversensitive core couldn't take it anymore.

"You're so sexy," he said as he made his way back up to me. "I can't get enough of you, Bella." He kissed me again, and I was surprised how erotic it was to taste myself on his lips.

He pulled away and grabbed the condom. He sheathed his hard cock and slipped inside me.

"Edward, you feel so good. I ... oh God ..."

We rocked together as my lips moved from his neck to his shoulder. His fingers tangled in my hair and our mouths crashed together again into a deep, hungry kiss.

"I'm almost there, baby," he said. "You feel so good ... I can't hold off ... any ..."

I couldn't believe when the wave of pleasure hit me again, just as he came, shuddering above me. Edward had turned me into an orgasm machine. Or maybe he was the orgasm machine?

The last thing I remembered before I fell asleep was that this sex god next to me had said he had the best sex of his life. _With me._

###############

**A/N Thanks for reading! So, has anyone been in a cooking contest or other type of competition? I just love it, apparently.**

**If you enjoying cooking, or just eating ;-) I have some recs for you.**

**Mise-en-Place by callmepagliacci, It's aWIP and she updates regularly. Bella is a personal chef for famous actor Edward. I love her writing, and there's more than food cooking in that kitchen.**

**Dear Mr Masen by jendonna is a funny wonderful and COMPLETED fic. Bella really wants to work in a kitchen to put her culinary degree to use. Needing a job, she works in IT and notices that a certain Mr. Masen is searching recipes on company time. If you haven't read this, you must!**

**An Acquired Taste by Magnolia822 is also complete.**


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